FRIDAYS FABULOUS FAVOURITES!

It's Thanksgiving at Mary's....we are making a
tradition of invading Mary and Bob's for great
food, great conversation, and I get to see these
three granddaughters who give me joy!


Thanksgiving is a family affair, although with so much going on in the lives of the family, and the distance to travel, only part of us get together.

Bob and Mary are a small family, but they cook big! We eat big and fill in all the empty seats that Mary can place!

This year, we had glorious weather. We were all gathered around the pond that is spectacular and Bob's hobby with the fish and waterfall and grasses making the back yard an oasis!

The girls hadn't really seen the yard before, in full fall bloom so lots of photos were taken.

Thanksgiving for us means the close of the cottage which is always sad, but also the new beginning of the "dinner circuit" as we call dinner parties at home.

This year, Thankgiving means a new hip for me, which means no more hobbling.
It's my favourite !

OH THOSE LATE NIGHTS!

We are early to bed people, have been for years, but when our grandson asked us to meet him at the airport at 1 am, well we stayed up, (didn't dare sleep in case) and went to the airport to see our boy get off the plane with two medals from the Pan Am Canoe/Kayak Competition in Mexico City.

He was met with open arms by his blurry eyed Poppa!

We viewed a silver and a bronze medal from his first international competition!

When asked what was the best thing? He said it was
the experience of meeting new people, and learning
that Mexico City air is unlike anything he has
ever experienced! He was happy to breath fresh
air in Canada! But loved the people who were
very friendly.


A few weeks back I won a book from Sweet P Quilting, and it has finally arrived...talk about snail mail...I'm reading something else right now, but have read a few pages of this little book which looks interesting.

Next read for me, then I'm having a giveaway to send it on to someone else. Thank you Paulette!

12 days to go!

THE LAST DAY AT COTTAGE

When I awoke this passed Monday morning, which was the last day of our cottage season, the moon was visible at around 6:15 am in the sky. I lay back down in bed to take this photo.

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Five minutes later, the moon was gone, the sun was rising in the eastern sky and our closing of our little precious paradise was beginning!







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The dogs, were totally confused this day as there
was so much going on...they couldn't figure out
sit, run or just eat! They sat like this for most of the morning....waiting.

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They stayed close to me all morning as there usually isn't so much activity going on in the day for them anyway.

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We, Bob, Mary, me, with Jerry directing the closing all had so much to do, putting up shutters, making sure all doors and windows were secure, and for Mary and I, setting the cottage in order
for spring opening.
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We cleaned out the fridge, gave it a great washing
and literally backed our way out of the cottage
as we checked each room.


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We finished around 3pm that afternoon.
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All water was turned off, the cottage boarded up completely. Last year for the first time, we heard that there were breakins, or attempted break ins on our little island. So we secured the cottage as best we could.
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The day was georgous as only fall days can be anywhere as the trees are in the best of colours.
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We often think that it would be nice to have
such colours all season long, but then we would
say that isn't the green trees the best!

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So, the last photo is of the colours as we left the lake.
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I'm back home getting ready for my hip surgery, so have been very busy all week going to doctor appointments which include sitting and waiting to get all the paper work, xrays etc done for the big day.
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Now, of course I decided that losing a bit of weight would be good! Yeah, I had all summer to do this, but didn't get in the mode till I'm just about ready to go under the knife as it goes.
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Another two weeks....can't wait.

FRIDAY'S FABULOUS FAVOURITES...

So,each Friday, the rule of the blog is to blog about a favourite (Canadian spelling Chris) thing.

Being a thoughtful girl, and simple minded at times, I thought about what is fabulous for me as my age is creeping up on me more quickly than I really expected.

So, as I am a hobbling queen this summer, I think I love, love, love, my dishwasher with its prewash cycle...

It takes only 13 litres of water for a full load...don't even ask me how much 13 litres is, but it sounds like only a bit of water. I read that 20-25 litres is what it takes to wash by hand. So having a septic system, my sweetie when he remodeled the kitchen at the cottage put in this dishwasher.

It's amazing and cleans everything really well.

This is going to be hard to do a FFF each week. I'm going to try to keep up the heavy schedule that "Quilting in my Pyjamas" aka the general has put on those of us that have decided to join.

I also want to add this little joke.

A woman is caught for stealing a can of peaches. She arrives to face the judge....he asks her how many peaches were in the can....she says "6, your honour"....the judge says that ok then...six days in jail....from the back of the courtroom comes a voice...."she also stole a can of peas!"

I'm loving this joke!







So, thinking and thinking,

HELLO FALL, GOODBYE COTTAGE!

Back to the cottge we came on Monday. We arrived in great weather for the only day in the past week.

Well, it was short-lived as it has rained every day since...The black-eyed susans are still so vibrant and are still standing up well to the season.

With the power outage, it paid to have an up to date fridge. We didn't lose any foods in the freezer. The fridge which had cream on the door was the part that we dumped if there was dairy stuffs.

With 72 hours of no power I did get rid of the
eggs, milk, and a few cheeses in the tubs...You
know the ones I mean. But having said that
I was amazed at how everything was actually
saved!


When autumn comes to the lake, the mornings are sometimes very misty as the lake is cooling, the weather is still warm, or the reverse happens, the air can be cooler than the lake; so we get sunrises as you see. I took this quickly as the sun burns off the mist and the moment is lost. The sun didn't last...the rain followed within the hour.

The BEAR! Well he did come back while we were gone and tore the handles from the bunker (my
name) and stole another garbage bin!



The count is bear-3, me- 0! We have not seen the bin even though we walked up the the back of the property which has power lines that are cleared for a view....no sign of the third bin...no garbage, nothing!

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So, we've left the lights on outside at night since Monday with no sign of the bear! I think that it has moved on...and I'm pretty clear that bears come back to food sources for a long time....well no bear is around as there isn't much in the food source on this island to help a bear bulk up for the winter
sleep.

He's moved on! I'm still taking Wilson out on the leash at night as the rain has probably killed any bear scents that were there! Little hunter that he is...we paid too much money for him to have a run in with any critter! I won't call him stupid because then I get a nasty note from Sewlmate Sister harrassing me of my choice of words for describing the dog!

We are cosy as the wood burning stove is on for most of the day to just keep the humidity out of the cottage.

Four days to leaving for the year....the season is changing so quickly, the trees are in full colour which hopefully we get a chance to take shots this weekend. We will be saying goodbye to 65 plus weather to mid 40-50s.... a cold front is coming, it's time to leave.

CLOSING UP...ALMOST

When you see the cottage sparkling clean...it's time for closing up. Mary and I went through the cottage and bunkies, putting everything away, sorting through stuff and giving thorough washings of everything!

We only have the kitchen to do when we go back next week. Well Bob and Mary are coming, we are leaving for the cottage tomorrow.

There have been storms which knocked out the power for 72 hours, so I don't know how the food stuffs we left will have survived....thankfully we
have brought a lot home.

Each year we must remove our docks which
extend out onto the lake about 50 ft or more.
It's always been a monstrous job for the men to
do. We've put them at Helen's beach for the past 8 years or so, but this year we floated them to a secluded spot on the lake.

The guys found it so much easier and with Mary being the director of operations, that is, her job was just to watch the floating docks to make sure all was straight and that she could say "stop" when everything was in place, she went on the little expedition to the far side of the lake.

Bob felt like King Tut floating down the river for a while there...


In the little bay where the docks are stored the gang came upon a loon's nest. The photo shows the homemade nest made by a cottager out of pvc pipes, with a mesh nest and debris put on the top.

These nests are located a bit off shore, keeping the loons safe from predators. I'd honestly never seen one so it was very interesting to note the way it had been placed.

Then my sweetie said that there was one located close to us too! It's tucked into a small cove on our island...I do think it will be moved though as I find our end of the lake a bit rough for nesting loons. But having said that, now that I shall be agile next year, I will be able to monitor the nests and let you know if there are indeed babies in the nests.

We also saw a beaver dam on the far side of our island tucked into a secluded area although no sign of the beaver...this guy doesn't know he's supposed to live is more shallow waters. Jerry said it was about 40 ft deep where it was. Quite the ambitious little guy. This is the same beaver that has been trying to eat his way through a 40 ft oak on Helen and Derek's cottage property.. each time they come back to the cottage they see signs that he's been there working away (like a beaver) I couldn't resist that.

So next week is our last for the season...I've got my quilting boxes etc down in the basement ready for sorting. All appointments have been made for the hip surgery on the 25th October.
I don't know anyone who is more looking forward to having this done.

I dream of walking normal through Ikea no less....those of us in Canada know the commercial that says "Start the Car!" as a woman runs through Ikea not believing the prices...well that's my dream....just going through there at a good clip.

Tomorrow, the 26th is my birthday...I'm having a glass of wine to cheer me and then Karen who just had a birthday on the 24th. I know so many people that I share my day with....lots of toasts and thanks once again.

FAVOURITE THINGS FRIDAY

I was reading the blog "Quilting in my Pyjamas"
which I do too don't you? Anyway she has this
thing that she does on Fridays...


It doesn't have to be serious, which hers is as serious as she can possibly be, which is always funny anyway, but here's my first thing.

Sunrise! I love sunrises at the cottage. It's a quiet time of the day, the lake is usually quite calm, the colours are always different depending on the season, and my little hummers are always starving at this time of the day.

This is when I hear loons, more often hearing than seeing because this lake has so many echos
that carry for miles.

I often take my coffee, sit on the deck and admire nature around us and count my blessings
that we found this magical place ten years ago.

This is my first Favourite Friday posting.

A BEAR OR A RACCOON, YOU BE THE JUDGE!

Last night around midnight we awoke to the worst noise of the night ever at the cottage.

There was crashing of our garbage bins, which needless to say awoke us from a sound night's sleep.

We jumped out of bed....well as much as two people who hobble can, to see what the devil was out there!

In the ten years we have been here, never and I mean never have the coons been able to open the garbage bins which are a Rubbermaid that I no longer can find.

The bins have a lock top and no raccoon has ever been able to figure out how to open them.

Well, last night three were destroyed along
with smashed tops and dragged about 200 ft
up the hill behind the cottage.

We didn't see a critter at all, we only saw one bin moved and broken at this time. Then I suppose an hour or so later as we had brought in one bin which only had some paper in it, and thought that was it, we were awaken once more.

Again this banging of bins, which was the bin with the tins and glass which makes an awful noise anyway, out we go to see that now only the bin with the glass and tin is left!

How could a raccoon carry three bins with garbage up over the septic bed and up a hill I ask you? I think it was a bear which would be in transit as we
don't have enough food to sustain bears on the island except of course garbage now and then. So the bears would move island to island then to land for the winter season in any event.

Now, as you know I still have my little hummers around, so for the first time ever, there was a destroyed feeder hanging about 10 ft off the steps usually which was broken and a tooth or claw mark on the feeder part!

In the middle of the night, the second time around the dog got out and headed up the hill. Of course being a Westie he doesn't come when called and we shouted loud enough to wake the dead! " You little......get back here!" Finally, we got the leash out and started up the hill with a flashlight, the leash, following all the garbage and finally the stupid dog sees the leash and thinks he's going for a walk so he comes running to the leash! Holy s...., we started laughing at the two of us, in slippers jackets, flashlights, and a dog with a wagging tail....

Today, my sweetie is building a bomb proof shelter for the garbage. Whether it was a bear or raccoon, we will be secure from any more invasions. I'll take a photo when it's done, but not today, it's a secret project.


NB> the photos are web shots, not the actual invadors!

IT'S LIKE BEING PREGNANT!

Do you remember being nine months pregnant and getting an incredible burst of energy?

Well this happened to me today! I'm telling you I can't get over it and I'm still in the mode as I write this!

This fabulous loon with a young appeared close to our dock this weekend. Helen saw it eating a fish! At first she wondered what it had in it's mouth, then realized that it had just come up from fishing off her dock.

I had the telephoto handy and managed to get
a few shots of this magnificent creature!


We had a new roof put on our "little" bunkie. it was a huge mess when the roofers took the old shingles off the roof and there was so much little bits of tar and hemlock needles that came through the ceiling that my sweetie and Bob, (who is really anal when it comes to cleaning) took everything out of the bunkie, vacuumed, washed and put everything back to make it look like it is ready for guests!

Our season is winding down so I don't think anyone will actually come to use it again this year
so we will probably start putting umbrellas, chairs
lifejackets and anything else in it for the winter
storage.





This morning, after having coffee I started cleaning out the kitchen cupboards, the fridge, and the big green cupboard in the family room to put it all in order.

You know me, I'm so in need of a new hip and I hobble around now that I'm only about nine weeks till surgery, so where I got this energy is beyond me!

The kitchen is super clean, the cupboards all tidied, even dinner was prepped as I was doing
all my kitchen stuff.

Still on the move, I cut out and sewed two, yep count em two of the above bags, only used beige straps, then cut out a pair of pyjamas bottoms and sewed those suckers up too!

My sewing area is now a bit lighter and I'm feeling good about my day. I took the dog for a short walk to the neighbours as he just needs to go a bit to feel he's been away...stupid dog, it took me about 7 minutes total, there and back.

We had actually planned to go for a boat ride this afternoon but the wind came up, the docks are rolling once again and we are expecting thunder and lightning and the rain that follows.

My sweetie thinks we should prepare to have a wood fire soon as it's going to get cooler quite quickly, but still the humming birds are here, two of them today at the feeders.

I've managed to get more done today than I have all this summer...where did that come from?

WONKY STAR QUILT AND TEENY TINY BEARS

When Helen gets creative, she really gets her mojo working. She decided to start using up scraps that she has had for ever in her box of goodies.

So here is the back first, of her wonky Ohio Star little quilt she created. See how precise her star is...it's why she perseveres with me..she thinks I can do this stuff!

The back of the quilt is as lovely as the front. I love the colours she used to make the back as interesting as the front.






You know me, I have a hard time downloading is sequence, so here is her amazing little Wonky Ohio Star quilt which measures about 36" square. There is off white in the squares as she tea dyed the white to give interest to the quilt....yeah she did.


I'm going to try to make a wonky Ohio Star quilt soon. I just love this.



When Helen goes to visit her mother who still lives independently at 90 yrs old. What a woman. She taught Helen at an early age to do small stitches, small fiddly things, teeny tiny stitches....so Helen makes these little bears!

They are hand stitched, stuffed and you can see the size of them in Andrea's hand. Now Andrea is her mother's daughter, but never will she attempt this stuff! We let Helen
have her fun. Honestly I couldn't see where she stitched this together!


We've had another storm come through, which I shall post tomorrow because a tree came so close to destroying the roof of Helen's cottage last night that the men went to see what the racket was about.

All is safe as the tree hit another before it landed on the roof without any damage except for shaking the cottage and all that were in it.

A recommendation for ladies that like to sew is "Valentino, the Last Emperor" which the ladies viewed last night. Talk about sewing! All his dresses are sewn by hand and this was a docu drama on his life and the workings of the designer...totally for women who sew!

COTTAGE HISTORY AND QUILTING

Remember the "new" neighbours? Well this is the
last bouquet of the summer. The flowers lasted
over two weeks because I knew that Kent would
not be back for the month of September




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All summer long he brought flowers for me. I know that it's fall now as the glads are done, the kids are back in school, the lake is quiet, it's raining, it's getting a bit chilly at night, so it's a sign that the end of the season is near.





I actually finished piecing the nine patch that I started in July, but don't have backing for it as yet, so I decided to work on the Eleanor Burns quilt,"flying into spring" which is now flying into fall..

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Someone posted a "slow poke quilter" and I would
have won a prize for being such a slow poke this
past summer. I do think it was the weather!




.I've got all the stippling done on the quilt, but do think that the flowers need to be tacked down. Helen is coming to have a boo at it today to give me some idea of what to do.


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The geese will just be outlined inside the borders as they need achoring too.
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The basting which was done by a quilt shop in Orillia was just amazing and made my work so much easier. I don't think I could have put this
together otherwise.

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I was talking to one of my blogging friends this past week and noted that we came to the cottage in 2000 with a boat load of our stuff thinking that we would never again need to load up the car and that all the hard work was done!
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The following year you see on the photo that we really needed more "stuff". We looked like the Beverhill Billies (aka the Clampetts) and people were taking photos of the barge as they'd never seen the barge filled like that!
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Well we needed the sunroom, and my sweetie figured that if we were paying for the barge we
may as well load it up!
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The barge had all the lumber for building the sunroom. We hired people to unload it all and withing a week the foundations were done for the addition of the sunroom
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This is what was accomplished on the first day!
It was the middle of May when this was all started and by the end of August, the room was enclosed with the windows!

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That September we had such a storm which was the result of the winds from a hurricane that for
the life of me I can't remember, but it was a
night of terror for us here at the cottage.

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The windows are weatherwalls which are built to withstand winds of about 65 mph, and we here well over that on that night.
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There was minor damage to the boats, branches were down but the windows withstood the winds!
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As Earl went through the areas last week I was reminded of that storm and our life as it began here at the cottage.

So, I've posted a few of our photos here for you
to see the changes.
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The "Great Room" as it was aptly named by our daughter Kelly is still the place where we all gather for events, and my little quilting studio in the summer is in one corner of the fabulous room that was built by my sweetie.



ps...can someone tell me how I remove this
extra photo?
Thank you Karen....it works...it's gone!

BACK TO BLOGGING

Lots has been happening to everyone on the eastern side of North America and the lovely islands in the Caribbean.

This is a photo I borrowed from the BVI Beacon FB page. If you go to the Beacon on line, they have a FB page with all the devestation that hit the Virgin Islands.

No lives were lost, thankfully, and most damage is able to be repaired, except for trees that took the brunt of the force winds.

My mother would weep at her beautiful little
piece of paradise if she saw the terrible tole it
took on the little village of Cane Garden Bay
where she spent 35 years of her life.

Hopefully, no worse hits the North Carolina
coast. Earl is a terrible storm, and we here
in Ontario will only get the rains and some
winds



My grandchildren who compete in Canoe/Kayak
Sprint racing have come home with meddles.


Grandson has one gold, one silver and two bronze in canoeing. He was very proud of his accomplishments in Regina. This is his first year of really working hard at training and competing as a Midget.

His sister did very well also, with five, yep count them five gold medals, and one silver in kayaking at the Canadian Championships.


I couldn't get them to put them on and display them,
as they are quite humbled by the whole experience.


But as a proud Nana, I'm posting the medals.

I've been busy with company here at the cottage, then home for a few days while above noted granddaughter had her final treatment for the tumor. The doctor was very friendly this time....after having a superior athlete in his presence....(grins here) and was quite animated when we all talked about her being back to see him when she feels it again. Funny about him...I was ready to confront him again but he was as sweet as pie this time. Also everything went so smooth that we were out of there in about 2 hours..

September, my time of year, as it's my birthday month, it's the time of year that I feel a renewal of life. This year, I'm getting a new hip....Hip, Hip, Hip...etc, can hardly wait.

This is also the beginning of the end of life at the cottage, kids are back at school, people start closing their cottages, fewer and fewer lights on at night. We also get fewer visitors, so maybe, just maybe I can get the quilt finished before I head home.

FUN AT THE LAKE!

This is my daughter! She brings the grandkids

for my summer fun.

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Every time they arrive, there is a flurry of the

most amazing activities that happen upon

arrival .

This past weekend was no exception. First thing that happened withing minutes of arrival was three crazy teens jumping into the water and crashing around the water.

Then the water skiing happened before we could even think of eating!

Kelly and I just take photos of all the activities

and some that can't be explained as the kids

just have fun here!

There was a shampooing with enviroment proper shampoo that produced sculpted hair dos.

Then they decided to decorate their bodies with the shampoo suds.

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I tell you they were laughing so hard. The one in the middle of the two grandkids is practically one of the family as Aleesha has been here many times and is also an excellent water skier which guarantees her acceptance.

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The highlight of any weekend at the cottage is triple or quads of skiers going around the island.

Well as you can see the boat is chugging a bit to get the three of the kids up. We will be using a larger motor next year for sure as Jeremy is growing like a weed.


Jeremy is a wild skier and he wanted to go doubles with his sister who refused,"cause you are crazy" and Aleesha said "no way"....so we
looked next door and Jeremy said "What about
Erin!, she skies!"

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So we shouted over, and she was suckered into
skiing with Jeremy! Not only that she didn't know he was a wild and crazy guy, but it was her first time on doubles and the whole experience was the longest ski of her life!

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She was such a sport, and the girls figured she was light enough for triples with them the next day, but the waves on the lake were huge so it didn't happen!

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Next year Erin will once again be picked to do
triples as she is light and also unsuspecting of the
ulterior motives of our gang!

I'm coming up to my 300th blog...I can't believe I have so much to say...a million little things in the brain and out the thoughts come!

I'm happy to say the Helen has picked up the "spring" quilt...aka bloody quilt...which she will return to the cottage this weekend. Now I'll have to quilt!

I'm sewing the nine patch which I better get a move on as the end of August is near, the Eastern Star was visible for the first time to me last night over the south east. It's that time of year for thinking of reducing the food stuffs here at the cottage...and starting to take home the sewing stuff that I haven't used this summer.

What happens to us? Why when I think of sewing all the time, the area is a great place and still I don't sew quilts? Yesterday, I cut an old white towel into dishcloths, and zigzaged all eight pieces. Then, I decided to do the nine patches.

Nanci

ANOTHER LITTLE COTTAGE STUDIO!

My friend Helen has a lovely spot to do her
cottage quilting.

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She uses her dining area, with her little sewing
table similar to mine which has her machine
even with the table.

When the little table is taken back to her city home, she collapses it, puts it into a carry all which has wheels.

It was purchased in the US last winter. Helen is like me in that she likes to sew with the machine even with the table. It makes for less stress on the shoulders and the back when quilting.

We who move around and machine quilt too must improvise our little spots. Karen (Karen Quilts) has been travelling for the past month or so and has her fabrics cut and sorted for camping for two months. A lot of planning goes on for those of us who have the addiction.

Did I tell you of the visits of the couple of cottagers who came to see the quilts after reading my little article by Helen? Well they arrived by boat, going down wind so the driver decided at the last moment that it was a bad idea, just as the other person was reaching for the dock, the driver backed up....the reaching person ended up reaching for water....too funny! She saved two pairs of glasses, her one shoe, having left the other in the boat, and only her cheerfulness let us know that we could roar with laughter.

The driver of the boat had a hard time docking since she was laughing so hard! I just carried a large towel for our visitor!

We had a lovely time looking at quilts, but what surprised me was that they didn't quilt at all!

I'm still having dowloading trouble, so the awesome photos of the weekend with the kids will keep for now.

It is so windy on the lake that only the very needy and brave are venturing out! Huge gusts are rocking our docks to the point that it really isn't safe to even go on them. The sun is shining though, so I'm not too troubled by the winds.
Nanci

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED!

Did you wonder what happened to my regular blogs? Well, first I had an atrial fibrillation attack which knocked me out for a couple of days, then while resting with the computer on my lap, I dropped it when the dogs scared the dickens out of me chasing a bird that got into the cottage.



Needless to say, lots of problems with the computer, but with a new hard drive, at 40 mgbites I'm running on full throttle once again!



I think that as I'm writing this post that I'm still having a problem downloading photos, but that may be the blogger site too.



This weekend my daughter is bringing up the kids who ski! We can't wait! There will be doubles and tripples on the lake, which is today very calm , so I'm off to the dock to have my coffee.



You know that as I was driving back from the city there are signs of fall all over the place! My sweetie said not to say a word...but the signs are there for all of us as the trees and the flowers in my garden are starting to dry while the black
eyed susans are in full bloom. They are the last of the perennials that bloom for me.

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The hummingbirds are very busy with the bee balm still which makes me happy to see. In about two weeks, the hummers will be gone...imagine.

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The quilt top is one of Helen's little creations! She has made more quilts than me this summer!

I can't believe it! I also took a photo of her little cottage studio which I shall post soon.

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What did I ever do without a computer? When it crashed, I lost all emails, all photos, all recipes that I had saved. Now most of the photos are on disks, but it was a lesson learned...back up all documents in the future.
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Have a great weekend...I'm happy to be back